Light Therapy (not to be confused with Lit therapy)

[sincerely_helene]

Anyone ever study/attempt/hear anything about this? Am curious if it is proven effective.

 

[doormouse]

Hear about what? Sex?

hell yeah... you just read the smut these sick people post as 'stories'.... sheesh!!

 

[Guest]

im assuming you mean phototherapy?
sometimes people have sesonal depression and one therapy is photo.. erm.. its a high powered light that the patient sits under .. much like a tanning light but a bit different.

erm.. phototherapy is also a way to handle jaundice babies..

if im way off base.. pardon moi.

 

[amicus]

It has been a while...but there was something on one of the 'nerd' channels that I watch concerning 'light therapy' that I recall as being well presented and logical.

As I recall it was a study done in a Scandanavian country, perhaps Sweden that undergoes long winter periods of darkness and very little sunlight.

Using artificial sunlight, under a sun lamp on a regular schedule was shown to be both mentally and physically beneficial. It has to do the the basic nature of the beast,(that be us) in that we require 'sunlight' to 'feel' that we are existing normally.

And...if we don't get the necessary amount of sunlight, we begin to suffer depression and withdrawal.

Hope that is helpful...seems like a plan to me.

amicus...

 

[sincerely_helene]

Top o' the mornin' to you both. Perhaps what I'm speaking of is still somewhat a foreign topic. Thanks anyway.

 

[cookiejar]

I have the lights and sit in front of them everyday. Expensive little buggers but with the other therapy I have had I've found them effective.

 

[sincerely_helene]

Danke, Amicus. I guess Vella wasn't so far off in her response. I hear that now you can purchase the light in a small pocket-book for $300 dollars, but I don't know much more about it.

 

[doormouse]

I have the lights and sit in front of them everyday. Expensive little buggers but with the other therapy I have had I've found them effective.

They're called 'headlights' cookiejar

(And insurance does cost a fortune)

 

[sincerely_helene]

What other therapy, Cookiejar?

(Sorry to pry)

 

[sincerely_helene]

Silly mouse.

 

[cookiejar]

What other therapy, Cookiejar?

(Sorry to pry)

No problem Helene. I am manic-depressive and I was gradually getting worse as the years went by. My moods were changing within the space of a few hours and my life was spinning out of control. The lights are generally used to treat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder.) My doctor suggested I buy them, give them a try. Mine cost around $250 and I started using it in Jan.

You must realize I'm an extreme case. In March I had Electro Shock Therapy(something my doctor and I discussed close to two years) and that along with the lights and therapy have turned my life around. I'm not saying this is for everyone but it worked for me.

 

[sincerely_helene]

Hey, cookie, I appreciate your response. Do you have to use the lights along with anti-depressents or some other form of medication? Do you think they would have been equally as effective without the shock therapy?

 

[cookiejar]

Hey, cookie, I appreciate your response. Do you have to use the lights along with anti-depressents or some other form of medication? Do you think they would have been equally as effective without the shock therapy?

I take anti-depressants also, sorry I meant to mention that. As far as without the ECT, who can say? I think it depends on the person and how severe the person's depression is. For myself I think they would have helped but not to the level it has with the ECT.

ECT is very controversial and certainly not for everyone. I was one of the lucky ones.

 

[pop_54]

There are all manner of light therapies about these days... some benificial... some just give people a nice sun tan to make them feel better about their own persona.

A friend of the wife recently had 'red light' treatment for adult acne on her face... worked a treat most of the blemishes faded in no time and as long as she keeps up the treatment every month or so, they won't come back, she's been assured.

 

[cookiejar]

There are all manner of light therapies about these days... some benificial... some just give people a nice sun tan to make them feel better about their own persona.

A friend of the wife recently had 'red light' treatment for adult acne on her face... worked a treat most of the blemishes faded in no time and as long as she keeps up the treatment every month or so, they won't come back, she's been assured.

Hi pop. My lights are 10,000 lux and I'm telling you it takes getting used to. My dogs hate them, way too bright. They run and hide.

*Works a treat*...I love that

 

[sincerely_helene]

I didn't even consider the tan factor. Bonus!

... Maybe I'm talking about a completely different product? Either way... now I want both!

 

[sincerely_helene]

http://www.apollolight.com/

This was the product I was speaking about. I knew very little about it, other than it was used to treat depression and bi-polar cases. Thanks for the help, folks.

 

[Liar]

Living this far up north, the absence of daylight in the winters is a real health issue for some. Light terapy definitely works for me. The winters used to make me tired like hell, especially since I was forced to sit in an office dyring all natual daylight time. I have one of those (see pic) at my work desk at home, and have had one at work for the last two years. It helped me a lot.

It is about two feet high, and emits a sun-like light. I dunno if it did anything for my tan or not, I think that particular part of the spectre is filtered out, but it is great for my mood.

#L

 

[Weird Harold]

http://www.apollolight.com/

This was the product I was speaking about. I knew very little about it, other than it was used to treat depression and bi-polar cases. Thanks for the help, folks.

I think you'd only need a portable light like the one your link shows if you travel a lot.

I have a 25 watt Full Spectrum flourescent tube -- AKA a "Grow Light" which cost me eight bucks and fit into a standard 24 inch flourescent light fixture. The same sort of lights can be purchased in a floodlight configuration that screw into a standard incandescent fixture, but they're 150 watts and thus more expensive to operate.

I bought the light for indoor pants, but have found that it's a soothing sort of light even though the plants I bought it for are long dead from neglect.

Unless you have a severe condition that "phototherapy" is appropriate for, grow lights are a cheap alternative to the high intensity therapy lights. If you use grow lights in place of your normal lighting, then you probably won't ever need the specialized -- and very expensive -- lights.

Edit: Here's a link to a sampling of Grow Lights -- I bought the 24" Sylvania listed here for $11.95 at Walmart for $8.95.

http://www.homeharvest.com/fluorescenttubes.htm

 

[gauchecritic]

It's possible that I'm way off base here but I'm under the impression that 'blue' light is what helps plants grow.

If this is the case and if 'blue' light is the equivalent of this 'sunlight' lamp (without the UV) then craft lamps are the inexpensive alternative.

These give a 'hot temperature' light which is similar to strong sunlight and the reason they are used by crafts hobbyists is that they easily brighten up small or intricate objects.

The last one I bought was about 2 or 3 quid. ($5?)

Gauche (who may be completely off-base with this)

 

[Guest]

I've a friend with S.A.D. Here's some basic info on it and the light treatment (which works for him without any other treatment).

Perdita

edit: forgot the link

Here's info from the NIH

 

[cookiejar]

Living this far up north, the absence of daylight in the winters is a real health issue for some. Light terapy definitely works for me. The winters used to make me tired like hell, especially since I was forced to sit in an office dyring all natual daylight time. I have one of those (see pic) at my work desk at home, and have had one at work for the last two years. It helped me a lot.

It is about two feet high, and emits a sun-like light. I dunno if it did anything for my tan or not, I think that particular part of the spectre is filtered out, but it is great for my mood.

#L

Yes, they filter out those rays, no tans from my light either. My light is bigger but it does have a carrying case and I take it with me on trips.

 

[cookiejar]

My box...

http://www.alaskanorthernlights.com/Images/WebBox.jpg

 

[sincerely_helene]

You have all helped me out tremendously, thank you.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

very cool thread Spamela.